2011 MLB Features

The steroid era in baseball constructed a media platform for pundits to question the future legacies of current athletes.

"How will A-Rod admitting he took steroids affect his legacy?"

"Is LeBron's legacy tarnished after using "The Decision" to announce he was leaving Cleveland for South Beach?"

We are so concerned about an athlete's legacy years before they walk away from the game that it takes the loss of a legend for us to be reminded of what the word "legacy" truly means.

On that end of the sports spectrum sits Harmon Killebrew. Search "Harmon Killebrew legacy" on the internet and you'll be treated to about 116-thousand results. This includes Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter's words on Killebrew's passing who said his legacy "will be the class, dignity and humility he demonstrated each and every day as a Hall of Fame-quality husband, father, friend, teammate and man."

His days as a ball player may have past, but "Hammerin' Harmon's" legacy begins now. By losing one of baseball's all-time greats, we are better able to reflect and remember how good Killebrew was for the Senators, Twins and Royals.

His best season came in 1969, at the age of 33, when he played in 162 games, scored 106 runs, drove in 140 and swatted 49 home runs. The man they called "Killer" terminated plenty of pitchers in the summer of '69. He would play 22 seasons in all with 573 of his 2086 career hits clearing the fence. If you do the math, over 27 percent of Killebrew's hits were home runs.